by Mya West
My eyes widen. “You?”
“What the fuck are you looking at me like that for?”
I laugh. “You’re going to make me pay, aren’t you?”
Selina laughs. “I know better than to make some poor bitch try and pay for anything.” She storms off down the hall, passing Lance. Lance looks at me with a straight face. I reciprocate the look back, turn, and keep walking.
I feel my phone vibrate in my blouse pocket. I look at my cell, and it’s a message from Bryce, telling me to hurry the fuck up.
I finally make it outside and spot Danna and Bryce sitting under a hollowed-out tree. A bit of a spooky looking spot for lunch, but we’re the outsiders. We seem to not be very conventional, especially for a school like Ryland.
Bryce takes a large bite from his sandwich and looks up at me. Danna is snacking on vegetables and waves. I wave back at both as I get closer.
From the corner of my eye, I spot a black Dodge Charger driving slowly down the street. It gets to a point where it seems like the car is matching my pace. I’m starting to get uncomfortable and move my head slightly towards the car.
The dark sports car’s hood and side is covered in mud. The windows are tinted, but I feel I can make out a silhouette of the driver looking at me. Part of me wants to stop walking and give him the finger, the other wants to run as fast as I can in the opposite direction. Instead, I look at Bryce and Danna, and smile.
The Charger revvs its engine and scares me half to death. I turn towards it, and it speeds down the street.
I look over at Bryce and Danna, who are laughing at me.
“Do you know who that was?” I ask them.
“No clue, but I can tell you he doesn’t go here,” Bryce says with a smile.
“How come?”
Danna jumps in. “Chargers are for kids who want to look rich but aren’t. They are probably just another dumb lookie-loo.”
I roll my eyes. “What the fuck is that?”
Bryce laughs. “You know, people who have heard about this town and want to check it out, see how the rich live their daily lives. It’s sad, I know, but happens all the time.” Bryce’s smile fades when he realises he’s speaking to me. “Sorry, no offence to you or anything, but it’s true. Right, Danna?”
Danna nods her head. “Some people want to check out the homes, the neighbourhoods, schools, just to imagine what it would be like to be a part of it all. It’s harmless, but sometimes you get some people who are a bit jealous. So, maybe it’s a lookie-loo, or maybe—”
I wave my hand at her. “Just stop with that shit.”
“I didn’t say a thing,” she says with a smile.
“The Beasts?” I shake my head. “I honestly don’t think that note I got in my locker was them.”
“Then who was it?” Danna asks.
“No clue, but it stopped. No more letters, threats, Beast symbols.”
Bryce tries his best to ignore us, but is managing less and less to keep his composure. “Can we just talk about normal shit? Let’s make our top ten hottest guys on campus. Let’s talk about how Elle is seeing two of them.”
Danna laughs. “So, are you going to make a decision yet? Jaxson or Chase?”
Bryce laughs. “Or Lance?”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Lance? If you were a girl, I’d kick your ass, Bryce.”
He laughs. “Well, you’re not very ladylike, if it helps.”
I tell them about what happened at the charity event. I explain in full detail how much Lance was annoyed by it.
“Getting under your roommates’ skin?” Danna says.
“I live in their guesthouse,” I remind her. “I don’t think we could actually live with each other without one of us killing the other.”
“Dark,” Bryce says.
“Well, it’s true.”
I hear the sound of a sports car revving its engine as it comes down the street. I turn and see the black Charger speeding down the street. It zooms past us, causing a gust of wind to knock over Bryce’s sparkling water. He quickly picks it up and swears to himself.
“They are harmless lookie-loos, right?” I remind him.
“Just immature,” Bryce says, wiping some of his drink off his shirt.
Danna looks at her watch. “We should start walking back.”
“I seriously just got here,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “Eat your sandwich and walk back.”
I roll my eyes back, unwrap my cafeteria sandwich, and start chowing down as we make our way back to school. I take a large bite, when I spot the Charger parked on the side of the road near us.
I try to say something to my friends, but all that comes out is a few pieces of bread and tomato. I cover my mouth and try again. “Bryce, who is that?”
Bryce and Danna look at the Charger. Bryce looks noticeably upset.
“Let’s just walk through the field,” Bryce says. He grabs my hand, making me drop my sandwich to the ground, and forces me off the sidewalk into the grass. Danna reluctantly follows. The Charger revvs its engine some more.
I continue to look back at the Charger as we walk into the field, taking the longer way back to school. The car continues to rev its engine, as if challenging us to come closer.
“That isn’t a lookie-loo,” Danna says, stating the obvious.
I look back towards the sports car and see Lance Cain walk up to the car and knock on its side window. The tinted window lowers, and Lance puts his head inside the vehicle. Lance grabs a cigarette from his pack and lights it. The car window raises back up and drives off down the street at a normal speed.
Lance breaths out a puff of thick smoke and looks back at me with a smirk.
“What the fuck just happened?” I ask. I look in front of me, trying not to notice Lance. Did he plan this? Is he trying to scare me again?
Danna grabs me by my shoulders. “When are you going to listen to me? This is all about you. The Beasts, Lance, everything.”
Bryce’s face is red. I’m not sure if it’s from us fast walking through the field, or him being scared shitless. “Fucking stop with that shit, Danna. You’re freaking us out.”
Danna ignores him. “And I’ll tell you something else.” She points at the large archaic looking clock tower that overlooks the school campus. “That building plays a central role too.”
“How do you know so much?” Bryce asks.
I interrupt before Danna can answer. “Call it a hunch.” I look at Danna coldly. “It’s just Lance, trying to scare me. It won’t work.” I look back, and Lance is walking back towards the school. I notice him looking at me with a smile. “It won’t fucking work,” I say under my breath.
Chapter 8
Chase splashes me while brandishing a wicked smile. I turn my back to him, and when I do, I whip my arm through the pool water, splashing him worse.
Chase laughs. “You seriously got me in the eye.”
“All is far in love and war,” I say with a smile.
Chase leaps towards me in the pool. He’s coming at me in slow motion, but I let him. He grabs my midsection under the water, holding tight. He rubs his chest against mine as he stands up. Water drips off his lean muscled body and filters between mine. His hand grips tighter, and he leans in to kiss me softly.
He stops suddenly and looks around. “This is shameful to say, but Lance’s pool is just awesome. Is it okay if I’m a bit jealous?”
I nod my head. “I’ve been jealous of all of your lifestyles since coming to Ryland.”
Chase grabs my hand and leads me towards a small waterfall at the side of the pool. The pool is almost shaped like a small lake, and built to look natural with real rock edging. A large formation of rocks on one side has the waterfall.
“As soon as I saw this, I’ve only been able to think about doing this with you,” Chase says with a smirk. He leads me under the waterfall, and we let the water strike our bodies. As we embrace under the falling water, his hand gropes my side, brushing past the side of my
breast. He pushes my wet hair out of the way and kisses me. He enters my mouth with his tongue in a masterful way. My knees feel like they may buckle under his kiss. I take my time caressing his hands under the waterfall. He wraps his hands around my back and undoes my bikini top.
I lower my hand to his back, feeling a few inches below his swimsuit.
Things are getting a lot hotter than I thought they would, and fast. I think everything with a guy like Chase goes fast—except hopefully, a few things.
We get out from under the waterfall, and we hold each other close. The only thing holding my bikini top up his chilled chest.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Chase says with a whisper. He steps back from my body, letting my bikini top sink to the bottom of the pool.
He embraces me again, kissing me sensually. He feels my stomach and caresses my breast. He takes his time with my hard nipples. I grab him by his swimsuit tie, bringing him closer to me. When he’s against me I can feel how excited he is to be near me.
I’ve always wondered how it would be like to have sex under water. Hell, I always wondered what it would be like to have sex.
Chase looks at me with his light blue eyes. His eyes look sweet, like my first school crush. At the same time, I can see the lust he has for me. He has a plan today, and it wasn’t to just see me in my bikini.
I wonder how disappointed he will become when he finds out I’m not as experienced as he is. “I have something to tell you,” I say.
“Why do you look so upset?” Chase asks somewhat concerned. “Are you okay?”
I nod my head with a smile. It’s just, I think you should know, I’ve never…you know.”
Chase smiles. “I don’t care. I don’t care about anything like that. I just want you—I need you. I could take you all day in this pool if you’d let me. Or we can go back to your guesthouse?”
I nod my head. “Yeah, let’s go.” My body is aching. I can feel pressure between my thighs. My heart is running like a racehorse. I want Chase Aldridge, now!
The sudden noise of quick footsteps from outside the pool startles me. I look to the side to see Lance running and jumping into the pool. Lance slams into the water beside Chase and me.
Chlorine stings my eyes. I rub them furiously until I can see again. Chase seems to be doing the same. I’m right pissed, but Chase looks like he could kill. I quickly dip my body under the water to collect my bikini top.
Lance comes up from the water with a smile entrenched on his face.
“What the fuck is your problem, Cain?” Chase says with a harsh tone.
Lance smirks at him. “If you can’t stand a little water, get the fuck out my pool.”
“Real mature, Lancelot,” I say.
“You should know, Noelle.”
Chase turns away from him and looks at me. “Let’s just go back to your house. I’m sure this peeve won’t follow us there.”
Lance laughs. “Everything around here, I own, Chase. In a few years, I could own Ryland Academy too. Don’t worry though, the school will always need a good principal. You can follow in your father’s footsteps. Then I would own you too, just like my father owns yours.”
Chase has a look of rage I’ve never known possible. His sweet demeanor drops, and he looks downright monstrous. “You are a sore loser, Cain.”
“I don’t have to play to win,” Lance replies with a smirk. “I always win, no matter what. Remember that when you’re giving some shit head student detentions after school someday.”
“I’m not my father,” Chase says. “He wasn’t willing to do what it took to win. I’m very different.”
Lance splashes him in the face with water. “You’re still a little bitch though.”
I see Chase’s body tense. His fists clench. This is about to go bad, very bad. I grab Chase’s hand firmly. He looks at me with anger at first, but his face softens almost immediately.
“Let’s go back to my house,” I say with a smile. “Fuck Lance. We had some plans before he came. Come on, let’s go.”
Chase looks back at Lance, who’s wearing a shit eating smirk. Chase looks at me and nods his head. “To be continued, Cain,” he says as he exits the pool with me.
I continue to cool off Chase as we dry ourselves with towels and walk back to the guesthouse.
Chase uses the towel to dry his midsection. He takes his time drying his abs and looks to see if I’m watching. I am.
“I feel like I need a shower to get off all this chlorine off me. Is it okay if I shower at your place?” Chase says.
“Of course, so long as I’m in there with you,” I say with a smile. “My house, my rules.”
“I’m a sucker for the rules,” Chase says.
I open my front door, and Chase grabs my arm, stopping me from going inside. He almost lifts my body up off the ground with ease. I wrap my legs around his midsection, and he kicks in the door behind him.
“Bedroom?” he demands.
I point to my room and take a second look around, thanking god that Marta isn’t inside.
Chase walks over to the room with me firmly wrapped around him. He continues to kiss me more savagely as we get closer to my bedroom. When we are at my bedroom door, he seems like a ravenous beast on my body. He only has one thing on his mind. I want to give him my body. I ache with pleasure, thinking about how it will feel when he enters me.
He practically slams me on my bed and jumps on top of me. I turn my head in ecstasy, as he kisses my neck. I close my eyes, taking in every movement of his mouth.
When I open them, I almost let out a scream of terror. A white letter is propped up on a pillow on my bed. Written on the front is my name in bold letters, just like last time.
Suddenly, it feels like I’m getting nauseous, and Chase’s touch is making it worse.
“Stop, stop,” I tell him.
“What!” Chase says with a tone of annoyance. “Why?”
I grab the letter from my bed. Chase looks at me weirdly.
“This wasn’t here when I left,” I say. I open the letter. I read the five words, and let the letter drop from my hands, and cover my mouth. I can feel my whole body shaking.
Chase picks up the letter and reads it. “I’m going to kill you.” He reads it again to himself. Chase gets up from my bed, walks over to window, peeking through the curtains. “I’m going to kill Cain, I swear.”
∞∞∞
Bryce opens his front door and asks again if I’m okay. I nod my head. I wave at Thomas Winters, who is sitting in his Escalade in the driveway, then he takes off down the road.
“Sorry for just coming here,” I say. “I honestly didn’t know what to do.”
Bryce waves his hand to come inside. “I’m glad you thought of me to be your protector.” Bryce laughs. “Sorry, attempt at humour. I seriously have your back with shit like this. Come inside.”
I walk inside Bryce’s home, and I’m surprised when I think of how underwhelming it is compared to the Aldridge and Cain estates. Bryce certainly has a beautiful home, but it’s doesn’t say ‘I’m a billionaire.’ I always used to think that the rich, were just rich. I never thought much about the different layers of wealth.
I’m taking off my shoes when a woman with straight blond hair and the whitest teeth I’ve ever seen smiles at me. “Why, you must be Elle Mavin! I’ve heard so much about you from my little Bryce-y.”
I smile back. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jamison.”
She waves me off. “Call me Barbie, everybody does. Mrs. Jamison is my mother-in-law. Call me Barbie, but not Barb. That just sounds like an old lady name too, and I hate it.” Barbie rubs her hands down her sides. She looks like a retired model. Barbie looks at Bryce with a concerning look. “And you! You never told me she was so hot.”
“Mom!” Bryce says embarrassed.
“Well, come on, Bryce-y, she is. Are you staying tonight in Bryce’s room, or would you rather the guestroom?” She winks at me.
“Mom!” Bryce says again. �
��We are seriously just friends. Can you stop now?”
Barbie nods her head. “Of course, right.”
A muscled bald man walks into the foyer with a thin frown. “My son gets confused sometimes.” He looks at me. “Of course, you two can’t sleep in the same room together, and the door needs to be open at all times.”
Bryce laughs. “Dad, nothing is going to happen, you know that.”
His father shakes his head. “What’s wrong with you?”
Bryce sighs. “Nothing. Elle, why don’t you just go upstairs to my room? It’s the third room on the right.”
I nod my head and quietly make my escape from his parents. As I go up the stairs, I can hear them arguing in the background.
“Dad, we talked already. You know I’m not into—”
“Shut up, boy!” his father yells. I can hear his mom crying. “In the Marines, do you know what we did to pussies? My son is no pussy. You’re just confused.”
“Why can’t you just have sex with your friend?” his mother blurts out. I quicken my pace up what feels like the longest flight of stairs I’ve ever been on. I open Bryce’s bedroom door, practically run in, and close it behind me.
This is starting to feel like a bad idea. Chase offered to stay the night at my place, and even said I could stay at his home in their guestroom, but I declined. The last time I feared for my life was at Chase’s home. God knows I couldn’t stay at Danna’s house. The whole time she would talk my ear off about how the note was from the Beasts, and what she thinks they are up to.
I’m just scared shitless and don’t need any more reasons to be anxious. Bryce’s seemed like the best option.
Bryce comes into his room and quietly shuts the door. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers.
“You’re doing me the favour. I need to thank you. I couldn’t sleep at my house tonight.”
Bryce nods his head. “The last girl I brought home was Danna. You should have seen how happy they were when I did. Soon after, we broke up and I came out. They still are in disbelief. Only male son of the most heterosexual parents.”
“Yeah, you can tell they feel like you still might go play ball for the other team.”